The present invention generally relates to van-type semi-trailers and similar cargo vehicles and containers constructed of a plurality of rectangular panels composed of thin aluminum plates or composite materials as disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,685,721, 4,810,027, 4,904,017 and 4,940,279. The invention particularly relates to joining members for such cargo carriers, the joining members being rectilinear strips intended to join two adjacent panels in side-by-side relationship so as to form at least a portion of the wall structure of such cargo carriers.
Cargo carriers of the type disclosed in the above-noted patents have employed particularly thin rectangular panels coupled by relatively flat joining members in such a way as to form a semi-trailer, cargo vehicle, container, or other cargo carrier having a high cubic capacity. The very minimum thickness of materials has been employed to construct the walls of such a cargo carrier so as to maximize the volume of the cargo carrier for a given width. In the construction of such cargo carriers, particular care has been required in the handling of the panel members in order to protect the edges of the panel members to insure the panels are smooth and flat. Any burr, bend, or crease has the prospensity to allow moisture to creep between the panel member and the joining member joining the panel to an adjacent panel thereby permitting possible damage to the cargo carrier contents. The burr, bend or crease in the plate edge had the tendency to displace the joining member outward from the edge portions of the plate. The special care handling requirements imposed during the construction of such cargo carriers contributed directly to an increased manufacturing cost of such carriers.
Other special problems of plate type cargo carriers resulted when it became desirable to include logistics tracks on the sides of such cargo carriers. The attachment of logistics tracks directly to the flat plates is effectively prohibited since such an attachment requires holes in the plates for fasteners, which holes which can contribute to the invasion of weather. Such holes also produce unwanted stress risers which might contribute to untimely product failure.